1969 Finals Game 7 Russell Final Game
The 1969 NBA Finals: The last championship of the Bill Russell dynasty and one of the greatest upsets in NBA history.
The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968–69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The Lakers were heavily favored due to the presence of three formidable stars: Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jerry West. In addition, Boston was an aging team; they made the playoffs as the fourth place team in the Eastern Division, and were not favored to make it to the finals; no four seed had ever made the Finals before the Celtics did so here. Ultimately, the Celtics won the championship in seven games – the last championship of the Bill Russell dynasty – and is considered one of the great upsets in NBA history.
- Event
- 1969 NBA Finals, Game 7
- Opponent
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Venue
- Boston Garden
- Date
- May 8, 1969
- Key Figure
- Bill Russell (Final Career Game)
- Result
- Celtics Win (Championship #11)
- Series Record
- 4-3
Lore & Background
The Celtics became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 2–0 series deficit to win the championship. They remain the only 4th seed team to win the Finals and the second-lowest seeded team overall to win the Finals after the Houston Rockets in 1995. This series is also notable in that West, with an average of nearly 38 points a game, won the Finals Most Valuable Player award, despite being on the losing team. This was the first year a Finals MVP award was given, and it remains the only time in NBA Finals history that the MVP was awarded to a player on the losing team. It also marked the first time in NBA Finals history that a Game 7 was won by the road team.
In Their Own Story
The air inside Boston Garden felt thick enough to choke on, heavy with sweat, sawdust, and the palpable tension of fifty thousand souls holding their breath. Bill Russell stood under the basket, his jersey soaked, eyes scanning the court one last time as a coach and a warrior. The clock ticked down, the Lakers' offense faltering against a defense that had been perfected over a decade. When the final horn sounded, there was no immediate roar of triumph, but rather a collective gasp followed by a deafening ovation for a man who had given everything to this city.
Reader's Guide
In Game 7, the Celtics jumped out to a first-quarter 24–12 lead which was cut to 59–56 at halftime. Then, Celtics sixth man Don Nelson scored 12 points in the third quarter, while the Lakers hardly connected on a quarter of their field goal attempts: the Celtics led 91–76 after the third. Early in the fourth quarter, Chamberlain incurred his fifth foul and had to play more tentative defense. Then, with just over 5 minutes remaining and the Lakers trailing 103–94, Chamberlain landed awkwardly when grabbing a rebound and came to the bench with an injured knee. Behind backup center Mel Counts, the Lakers cut the lead to 103–102 with two minutes left. Chamberlain then informed Van Breda Kolff that he was ready to return, but the coach told the superstar center 'we're doing fine without you', and Chamberlain stayed on the bench.
Did You Know?
- The Celtics became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 2–0 series deficit to win the championship.
- Jerry West won the Finals MVP despite being on the losing team, the only time this has happened in NBA Finals history.
- This was the first time in NBA Finals history that a Game 7 was won by the road team.
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